Monday, September 10, 2012

The BIG 2 on CHICAGO #faircontractnow PS THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING


The BIG 2 on CHICAGO




What Does Rahm Emanuel Believe?

When Mayor Rahm Emanuel is talking about youth crime, he assigns responsibility to parents and families for the values and attitudes and behavior of what he calls “gang bangers.”
When he talks about schools, however, he forgets that parents and families have any influence on how students behave and the effort they are willing to expend on their studies. All of a sudden, teachers alone control test scores, no one else.


Chicago strike

Forty five years go, fresh from Chicago, I began teaching kindergarten in Central Harlem. Instead we went on strike. A year later we did it again–and on issues that remain (to this day) open to fierce arguments among friends. They were tough strikes–and yet I remember them with both sorrow and joy. The students in my own children’s schools joined their teachers in off-site sort-of schools after the picketing was over. Relationships between teachers and students blossomed. But there was also great divisiveness between pro and anti-strike families. Much of that took years to recover from. And it wasn’t helped by some outrageous lies published by the media–which they apologized for personally but not in the NY Times itself. (More another time)
All this to say, the CTU needs ALL of our support–in every way possible Call friends who live there to be 

The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight | FDL News Desk

The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight | FDL News Desk:


The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight

Dylan Matthews published a post today about how teacher strikes harm student achievement, reaching all the way to suggest that the future earning potential of students off from school today at the Chicago Public Schools will be impacted by a protracted strike.
Let’s set aside the fact that it seems a bit presumptuous to enter into this conversation ONE DAY INTO a strike action, and the fact that the company of the organization for which Matthews works, the Washington Post, has a subsidiary named Kaplan which makes the bulk of its money off test preparation services.
The entire rationale for this boils down to lost instructional days for the students, and it’s simply unknowable how many days students will miss and whether or not they will get made up on the back end, as snow days are. This is how it worked when my mother, a teacher, went on strike multiple times in the 1980s. So it’s a speculative discussion.
Of course, what doesn’t get factored into the discussion about future wages is the impact of a weakened national labor movement. I asked Matthews about this on Twitter, and he gave a very specific response about whether or 

Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information | Seattle Education

Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information | Seattle Education:


Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information

Chicago teachers in a picket line outside the headquarters of Chicago Public Schools. September 10, 2012.
As I posted this morning, Democracy Now had a great program on the Chicago teachers’ strike.
Teachers outside the Chicago Public Schools headquarters.
Substance News, which is providing great coverage of the strike also, started off with the article Strike begins.
Reuters also posted an article this morning which is well worth a read: Chicago teachers walking picket lines on Monday, in a strike that has closed schools across the city, are taking on not just their combative mayor but a powerful education reform movement that is transforming public schools across the United States
Chicago students support their teachers on first day of strike.
More information is beginning to appear online and to follow are links to the best information that I have found so far.
For the up to the minute information on what’s happening on the ground, check out:
Chicago Teachers’ Union twitter feed
The Chicago Teachers’ Union website
Chicago Teachers Solidarity Campaign Facebook page
Chicago Teachers Union members taking it to the streets.
For some great stories from teachers and parents about why they support the strike, check out The meaning of our struggle in Chicago.
The United Opt Out National website has recommendations on what anyone can do to support our teachers and protect public education with their Action of the Week.
And finally a post from Teacher X
Why I’m striking, JCB
CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is on record saying both that CTU leadership is deciding whether or not to strike, and that “everyone knows that a strike would only hurt our kids.”
I just wanted to educate my boss a little on the history of Chicago, as he is relatively new to the area. Chicago is founded on the hard daily struggle of working people. It is the birth of the labor movement—not a movement just for wages and benefits, but a movement that stopped child labor so that each of the kids in CPS schools could 

By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First - Education - GOOD

By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First - Education - GOOD:


By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First


on.strike


Is it Groundhog Day for the Chicago Public Schools? Back in 1987, the city's teachers went on a 19-day strikeover pay and class size. Sunday night, ongoing contract talks between Mayor Rahm Emanuel's team—Chicago schools are under mayoral control—and the Chicago Teacher's Union fell apart, seemingly over the same issues. Emanuel says the strike is the "wrong choice for children," but the biggest strike in a generation isn't just about a fatter paycheck and more benefits.
Sure, Chicago's 26,000 teachers are angry over Emanuel and his school CEO, Jean Claude Brizard, putting the brakes on a promised 4 percent raise, being told they needed to work a longer school day without adequate compensation, and standardized test scores becoming 25 percent of teacher evaluations, but Phil Cantor, a science teacher and strike captain at North-Grand High School told Democracy Now that the contract 

Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle : NPR

Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle : NPR:

Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle


Chicago public school teachers picket outside William H.Wells Community High School on Monday.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Chicago public school teachers picket outside William H.Wells Community High School on Monday.

The strike that shut schools in Chicago on Monday illustrates a larger, national trend: Teachers unions are having a harder time getting what they want.
For decades, teachers unions have been among the most powerful lobbying groups in nearly every state — and have been arguably even more powerful at the local level, where they've often been able to unseat school board members and even mayors who crossed them.
"Although they've been criticized in the past, they have not been under any real pressure to change," says Tim Daly, president of The New Teacher Project, which helps to train and place teachers.
That's no longer the case. Since the 2010 elections, four states — Idaho, Indiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin — have either eliminated or largely curbed collective-bargaining rights for teachers.
The result of these laws, along with widespread teacher layoffs due to state and local budget woes, has been a sudden and rapid decline in union membership. The National Education Association, the largest teachers union, has lost 100,000 members since 2010. The NEA projects it could lose 200,000 more by 2014.
The political and policy challenges that teachers unions face have left them with two choices, says Richard Kearney, a political scientist at North Carolina State University: They can take a more collaborative approach and seek to embrace and shape ideas that they have largely opposed to 

Comment Open for CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Comment Open for CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):



State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Invites Comment on
New Career Technical Education Standards


SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today invited the public to comment on the new Career Technical Education (CTE) Model Curriculum Standards.
"I want all students to have the skills they need for demanding careers or the rigors of college after graduating from high school," said Torlakson. "That's why it is so important for all Californians have input on these new standards to assure that our students have the best programs to help them succeed and prepare for the future."
A standard is defined as the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. State law requires the development and adoption of CTE standards that incorporate the integration of career technical and academic education. The new CTE standards are written for grades seven through twelve. They specify learning goals in 59 career pathways organized around 15 industry sectors.
The new standards build on the previous CTE standards and were created with input from more than 300 people from business, industry, labor, postsecondary, and secondary education sectors, and were reviewed by others in the education community.
These draft standards are written to demand high-quality coursework for students to complete on their way to a future career and are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS were developed through a state-led initiative, including California, to establish consistent, clear education standards for English-language arts and mathematics across the nation.
The new CTE standards will help better inform instructors as they prepare lesson plans for students who are exploring various career paths. They are also designed to better engage and prepare students to master the demands necessary to compete and excel in the technologically advanced workplace of the 21st century.
The new standards are available for review on the California Department of Education's Web page at CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Standards & Framework. People may provide written comment by completing an online form found on the same Web page, or they may comment at one of two public hearings.
  1. September 17, 2012, noon to 3 p.m., Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 South Bixel Ave., Los Angeles.
  2. September 19, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Room 1101, Sacramento.
The comment period ends September 19, 2012. The new standards will be revised based on these comments, and then the final version will be submitted to the State Board of Education for approval.
For more information, please visit the CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Standards & Framework or call 916-324-5706.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Chicago teachers strike: The issues - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Chicago teachers strike: The issues - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Chicago teachers strike: The issues

By 

The teachers strike in Chicago, the third largest public school district in the country with some 350,000 students, is about more than money.
For the first time, teachers in a major school district have walked off 
Teacher Jillian Connolly helps her daughter, Mary, study math problems while picketing outside of the William H.Wells Community High School in Chicago. (Scott Olson/GETTY IMAGES)
the job in part to challenge some of the key tenets of modern school reform that have been advanced by the Obama administration and by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was once President Obama’s chief of staff.
In fact, Karen Lewis, the head of the teachers union, said the two sides were close to agreement on financial matters, but other issues remain outstanding.
While no other teachers union has gone on strike in solidarity, they will be watching to see how this turns out.
More than 26,000 teachers and other unionized school personnel went on strike Monday for the first time in 25 years after the Chicago 


The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1. « Fred Klonsky

The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1. « Fred Klonsky:


Two readers.

At the CTU rally this afternoon a number of Chicago teachers came up and introduced themselves as readers of this blog. It is always great to meet readers and to hear that this blog is useful to them. I promised a couple of teachers I would put there pictures up. So. Here they are:




The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
UFT President Michael Mulgrew and AFT President Randi Weingarten wearing red in solidarity with CTU Local #1.
Dear Fred,
Late last night, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike. This came after months of intense negotiations that continued until the last hours before the strike deadline. Today, teachers, educational support personnel and community members throughout Chicago walk together on picket lines to continue to demand a contract that provides the best for students, respects educators and their work, and treats them as true partners. Despite ongoing efforts over the past weekend to reach an agreement, the CTU and the district remain divided on core issues like the best way to improve instruction, and how to ensure job security and fair compensation for educators.
Join us to show your support for the CTU and strong public schools in Chicago by wearing red on Wednesday, Sept. 12.
“Chicago Teachers Union is the AFT’s Local No. 1; it’s where our union was born,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement of support. “The CTU has a proud tradition of uniting and standing together to advocate and agitate for better—for students, for our communities and for our members.” 
The 1.5 million members of the AFT are proud to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in their fight to ensure that every child in Chicago’s public schools has access to a great education, and that educators and their work are valued. 
Show Your Solidarity: Wear Red!
Show your support for the CTU and Chicago students by wearing red on Wednesday, Sept. 12, and send your group photos to photos@aft.org.
Additional Ways to Show Support:
  • Send letters and resolutions of support.

    Mail to: 
Karen Lewis, President, Chicago Teachers Union, Local 1

    Attention: Audrey May 
222 
    Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400 

    Chicago, Il 60654
  • Make a donation
.
    Checks should be made payable to CTU Solidarity Fund and mailed to the address above. Credit card donations can be made here.
  • Volunteer your time. 

    If you are interested in volunteering your time to help CTU, sign up here. 
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President
P.S. You can also post your expressions of support on the CTU’s Facebook page.

CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica

Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica:


CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years

09/09/2012
More than 29,000 teachers and education professionals will not report to work today 9/10
CHICAGO— After hours of intense negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent the first teachers strike in 25 years. Pickets are expected to begin Monday at 675 schools and the Board of Education as early as 6:30 a.m. Teachers, paraprofessionals and school clinicians have been without a labor agreement since June of this year.
Union leaders expressed disappointment in the District’s refusal to concede on issues involving compensation, job security and resources for their students. CTU President Karen Lewis said, “Negotiations have been intense but productive, however we have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent a labor strike. This is a difficult decision and one we hoped we could avoid. Throughout these negotiations have I remained hopeful but determined. We must do things differently in this city if 

How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere : blue cheddar

How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere : blue cheddar:


How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere

September 10, 2012
By 
Share

Teachers in the 3rd largest school district in the United States are on strike today.

What can you do to support Chicago teachers:

* Learn about the issues in play.
If you’re in a rush, at least read this tidbit found in “STRIKE!“.:
“We are demanding a reasonable timetable for the installation of air-conditioning in student classrooms–a sweltering, 98-degree classroom is not a productive learning environment for children. This type of environment is unacceptable for our members and all school personnel. A lack of climate control is unacceptable to our parents.”
Considering that Chicago and the Midwest suffered a weeks long deadly heatwave this summer, I’m surprised that air conditioning needs to be quibbled over.
Read Chicago teachers on strike by Laura Clawson at Daily Kos
Read Why are Chicago teachers on strike? – Washington Post
Read what I wrote following a talk by a rank and file CTU member: In Madison standing at the brink of the CTU strike
If you have time, read The Schools Chicago Students Deserve. Not all of what the CTU want for students can be negotiated into a contract. But this document establishes what they’re aiming for. The bullet points:
*class size matters,
*teachers must educate the whole child,
*children need “wrap-around services” (like counseling),
and
*students of color need equitable delivery of services.
The document also calls for
*early education without excessive testing,
*teacher compensation befitting training and experience,
*equitable service delivery to bilingual and special education students,
*sound school buildings,
*invitations for parents to participate, and
*a guarantee of funding for essential services.
* Donate:
Buy a teacher lunch by donating to Primo’s Pizza, a locally owned and teacher-friendly restaurant near the strike HQ delivering pizza, pasta and salads. Call Gus or Daisy at Primo’s Pizza at (312) 243-1052 . Primo’s is at 816 W Van Buren Street, Chicago. Open 11 am to 9 pm Monday through Friday.

Greatness By Design Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Greatness By Design Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):


State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils Greatness by Design,
Task Force's Comprehensive Report on Supporting Outstanding Teaching


SACRAMENTO—In a new report, a group of California's leading education experts formed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson called for sweeping improvements to the way teachers are recruited, trained, brought into the profession, mentored, and evaluated.
"This is the most comprehensive look our state has taken at California's most important profession—teaching—in a generation," said Torlakson, who created the 48-member Task Force on Educator Excellence in January in partnership with theCommission on Teacher Credentialing External link opens in new window or tab. (CTC). "We are blessed to have many outstanding educators already in our classrooms. And every child deserves a great teacher, one who cares for children today and helps prepare them to contribute to the society and economy of the 21st century.
"Today's report—grounded in research, best practices from our state and around the world, and the realities of California's classrooms—charts a path to reach that goal."
Torlakson formed the Task Force to address fundamental questions about the education profession: how to recruit the best people into the profession, how to develop their skills before they begin work and throughout their careers, and how to provide useful feedback, including using measurements of learning to improve teaching.
"The Task Force has given us a clear, coherent vision for the development of high-quality educators—a vision with real potential to improve teaching and learning for all of California's students," said Mary Vixie Sandy, Executive Director of the CTC. "Working together, we can shape the preparation and development of teachers and leaders so that they can inspire and support our young people to reach their highest potential."
The Task Force was co-chaired by two widely recognized education leaders: Stanford University's Linda Darling-Hammond, Ph.D. External link opens in new window or tab. and Superintendent Chris Steinhauser External link opens in new window or tab. of the Long Beach Unified School District, the third largest district in California. The group included parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, and business and community leaders, as well as leading academics. Torlakson said he would assign the California Department of Education's (CDE) Chief Deputy Superintendent Richard Zeiger, and Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and Learning Support Lupita Cortez Alcalรก to work with education leaders across the state to implement the report's recommendations.
The 90-page report, Greatness by Design: Supporting Outstanding Teaching to Sustain a Golden State (PDF; 4MB), addresses the recruitment of new teachers, including the need to develop a diverse, high-quality workforce of teachers and principals. It also examines quality induction programs that can help teachers improve early in their careers—often the key to keeping promising new teachers in the classroom.
The group's report also looks closely at the kind of ongoing training and support teachers need throughout their careers, including linking professional learning expectations to the certification renewal process.                                  
The report thoroughly examines how to provide a career development framework that fosters growth and leadership opportunities for teachers throughout their careers. It also takes a close look at how to improve the evaluation process, including how to collaborate with teachers and incorporate valid measures of student learning.
"The most successful evaluation systems are those that rely upon research-based best practices to help teachers and administrators improve their craft," said Steinhauser, a 30-year veteran educator known for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps in a challenging school district. "Collaboration is key to developing these systems, with all parties focused on the ultimate goal of improving student achievement."
"Around the world, there is growing recognition that expert teachers and school leaders are the most important school resources for improving student learning, and that the highest-achieving nations invest intensely in teaching quality," said Darling-Hammond, who also serves as vice-chair of the CTC. "California cannot—and should not—do any less. This report describes how we can work strategically to build a world-class educator workforce in all of California's communities."
The report opens with a message from Torlakson, himself a teacher, who notes that budget cuts, difficult working conditions, and other factors have made teaching "a profession under siege."
"The good news is that California is home to some of the very best ideas and research on how to train new teachers and principals, support them from their first days in the classroom to their last, and give them the kind of feedback they need to be even better," Torlakson said. "The challenge, and therefore the opportunity, is to revive and expand these isolated and sometimes neglected experiments and weave them together with new, research-based ideas into a system that forms a coherent whole that produces exceptional results."
The report's findings and recommendations are summarized in the full report available online at the CDE Educator Excellence Task Force Web page.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line

Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line:


Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line

On Monday, Chicago's public school students won't have any classes to go to.

After weeks of negotiations, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's team and the Chicago Teacher's Union failed to agree on a contract. On Sunday night, CTU officially announced it was going to strike for the first time in a quarter century. So on Monday, instead of teaching, the union's 26,000 educators will protest.

"In the morning, no CTU members will be inside our schools," CTU President Karen Lewis said Sunday at a late-night press conference outdoors, surrounded by throngs of reporters and teachers. She appeared in a bright red jacket with crimson lipstick, the intensity of her wardrobe illustrating the defiance in her words. "We will walk the picket lines, we will talk to parents, we ... will demand a fair contract today, we demand a fair contract now," she said, calling the ordeal an "education justice fight."

But when it comes to exactly what the strike it about, the stories of the city and the union vary dramatically. Shortly after Lewis finished saying that the union was striking over contract negotiations, teacher evaluations, 

Standing up to Rahm - Salon.com

Standing up to Rahm - Salon.com:


Standing up to Rahm

Bullied by their city's Democratic mayor, teachers in Chicago are making a bold stand against misguided "reform"

Standing up to Rahm
(Credit: AP/Sitthixay Ditthavong)
When I was a kid, teachers were like gods. In eighth grade, my school had a day where students got to take over and make lesson plans, teach a class or two, try and get our fellow students to pay attention. After being selected to teach English, I still remember the thrill of going in the teacher’s lounge for lunch — a place that usually only the most special people got to go.
Those special people called teachers didn’t get paid very well, particularly when you factored in the long hours grading papers and prepping, but they got our gratitude. And that, plus a decent pension, was enough.
When I was a kid, having a good teacher was the key ingredient to getting a good education, just as it is now. And when I was a kid my teachers were unionized, just as they are now. But now the same 

"NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers." September 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

"NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers." September 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org:


NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers

 
ALBANY, N.Y. September 10, 2012 - The 600,000-member New York State United Teachers pledged its full support to the 30,000 teachers and staff in Chicago who today went on strike. Outstanding issues leading to the strike include fairness and respect for teachers and staff serving the Chicago Public Schools; a demand for badly needed resources for Chicago students, and better working conditions and benefits for teachers and staff.
NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi said in a statement:
"NYSUT's officers, board of directors and its 600,000 members stand with the Chicago Teachers Union as it fights for what's best for that city's children. Their fight is our fight. Their struggle is our struggle.
NYSUT stands united with the CTU as it fights for a just and fair outcome that meets the needs of Chicago's teachers and staff as well as the students and communities they serve. We are monitoring the situation closely and prepared to do whatever necessary to support our sisters and brothers in the CTU."
NYSUT, the state's largest union, represents some 600,000 classroom teachers and other school employees; faculty and other professionals at the state's community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York, and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.

Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next | GothamSchools

Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next | GothamSchools:


Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next

Striking Chicago teachers picket today outside Ray Elementary School, where U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent his children when he was Chicago's schools chief. (Photo: Raiselle Resnick for GothamSchools)
Chicago’s long-threatened teacher strike, which began today, isn’t just about Chicago teachers. It’s also something of a referendum on the current moment in education policy.
Of the many reasons for the strike, three stand out. We explain each one below — and then explain how the strike could evolve from here. In a second post, we’ll explain why the Windy City’s labor conflict matters here in the Big Apple.
1. A new mayor. Chicago teachers have been distressed for several years as budget cuts caused school closures and hundreds of layoffs. Tensions between the Chicago Teachers Union and the city mounted last year when former Obama chief of staff Emanuel was elected mayor, bringing with him an aggressive approach to cost-cutting, the support of national education reform advocacy groups, and a superintendent who cut his teeth under Joel Klein in New York City. Jean-Claude Brizard quickly earned criticism as “anti-teacher” based on his record 

CTU striking for better schools Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » CTU striking for better schools:


CTU striking for better schools

It seems very odd to be in Phoenix getting my mom settled back into her home after a summer with us, rather than being in Chicago where all the action is.
But the whole world IS watching, and it’s not because the whole world really cares that much about a local city labor dispute. It’s because this is a fight about the very nature of public education and the needs of middle class families.
Read this letter by Teacher X’s (the amazing Xian Barrett) to JC Brizard for a powerful take on what’s at stake. Here’s a taste.
  • When you make me cram 30-50 kids in my classroom with no air conditioning so that temperatures hit 96 

LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back

LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back:


LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION

FINALLY !  We finally see a group of teachers demanding some respect. Let the Chicago teachers lead the way to a new era of respect for teachers. I’m referring to self-respect. Let’s go all you other teachers. Let this bold strike for respect inspire a whole nation of teachers to demand an end to this teacher bashing, union busting, teacher scapegoating era.
You teachers need to have enough respect for yourself and your profession to fight back at the forces that are using you as scapegoats for every perceived wrong in our society. You need to demand an end to this ridiculous notion that a school and its children can be treated like a business. Demand an end to using test scores as a major evaluation of teachers. You veteran teachers understand the injustice of such a system. Demand an end to the notion of merit pay which demeans and belittles your net worth as a teacher. Refuse to give back hard-